Details emerge in drowning

CANANDAIGUA — A pair of sneakers with socks, wallet and keys tucked inside were the only items James Wesley left on City Pier before he disappeared into Canandaigua Lake some time Thursday evening.

While the investigation continues into what happened to Mr. Wesley, whose disappearance prompted a search on the lake all day Friday and again Saturday morning, some details are known now about the case.

A resident on East Lake Road in Gorham, nearly two miles from the Pier in Canandaigua, called 911 Saturday morning to report seeing a body about 10 yards offshore. The search team responded to the spot, just south of Dewey Cove, recovering the body of Mr. Wesley, 63, of Parrish Street, Canandaigua.

Sgt. Scott Kadien with the Canandaigua Police Department said Mr. Wesley’s family and friends were helpful throughout the search, which involved 12 divers and boats with the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office as well as city police.

The pier is routinely patrolled, day and night, said Kadien. Interviews revealed that people at the pier reported seeing Mr. Wesley’s sneakers on the southwest corner of the pier, facing Squaw Island, about 8:30 p.m. on Thursday. The sneakers were not noticed during a night patrol about 2:30 a.m. Friday, Kadien said.

The search began after City Police Sgt. Scott Ferguson saw the sneakers and their contents during a Friday morning patrol at 9 a.m.

This particular search was “the most protracted use of the team” in recent memory, said Kadien. “Most of the time we have a concrete area to search,” he said. “This was different … the search was wide open.”

The work of the Ontario County Dive Team has involved everything from recovering vehicles and stolen guns to searching for drowning victims, said Kadien.

"They are always very helpful. The entire team is a great asset,” said Kadien.

On Friday, the team went out about 100 yards into the lake, covering areas including south of the pier, around Squaw Island, and around the state Boat Launch in Canandaigua. Kadien said they believe Mr. Wesley was just outside the area searched during the effort that lasted until about 6 p.m. Friday and resumed at 7 a.m. Saturday.

Overnight Friday night, the wind picked up, said Kadien. Weather factors, as well as the direction of the lake current and length of time Mr. Wesley was missing likely explain why Mr. Wesley’s body was discovered as far as it was from the pier, he said.

He added that it will never be known exactly when Mr. Wesley died. “And we don’t know how far he swam out before he died,” added Kadien.

According to a Canandaigua City Police report, on June 6, 2013, James Wesley was transported to Thompson Hospital because he was in “an unsafe condition due to consumption of alcohol.” Kadien said there were not any interactions recorded since then involving city police and Mr. Wesley.